[TR] Pisco and Chopicalqui- 7/30/2005

[tlinn]

Climb: Pisco and Chopicalqui-

 

Date of Climb: 7/30/2005

 

Trip Report:

 

After Shaqsha we were back to good old Jo´s Place in Huaraz for some more fried chicken and beer. We had the most interesting collectivo ride ever. During our ride into Huaraz we had a flat tire and the man next to me

assured everone that I was "no molestero" as he offered my lap as a seat to a poor Catholic girl that looked pretty embarrassed.

 

Three days later I went to the doctor because I had developed a bit of a chest infection. The doctor´s said that someone in my condition should not go out drinking and said "No Tambo for you!" referring to the

infamous disco in Huaraz. I took his advice and went there anyway, called myself healthy, and got packed for another 7 days in the mountains.

 

Day one involved a steep but short walk up to Pisco basecamp where we met some really cool American climbers around our age from Boulder (is every American climber here from Boulder? ). We shared some laughs, some good food and summitted Pisco at almost the same time. This was my first look at Peruvian guided mountaineering which is in one word, DANGEROUS! Everyone ropes up two or three feet apart on the glacier. They´re also just as disrespectful as they are dangerous. We had several rude

French people and their Peruvian guide drop ice on top of us as they belayed up a 45 degree ice slope. I tried to be friendly but it was difficult.

 

The next day they pissed in the only water source we had. If I´ve ever come closer to a base camp brawl it was at Pisco basecamp. Our American friends plus me and

Al would have made a good team!

 

The next morning after summitting Pisco (5752 meters) we went back down to the bottom of the valley and bartered for a taxi up to Chopicalqui basecamp. We spent the first night there which was pleasant but cold. Day two on

Chopicalqui we hiked up the moraine to the second camp at 4900 meters. We met some really cool Spanish and Ecuadorian climbers. The next morning our Ecuadorian friend David followed us up to the glacier. At this point Al and I considered letting him rope up with us but we decided that we should just stay seperate. About half an hour later I decided to give in. I felt that he was our responsiblity so I offered him a place on our rope. This was probably a good idea because otherwise he would have tried and jumped the 6 foot crevasse everyone else was jumping. Instead, we put in a belay and crossed on a snowbridge.

 

Day four on Chopicalqui Al wasn´t feeling well. The altitude was making him feel nauseous and he wasn´t feeling up to heading for the summit. I woke up David and two of us left high camp at 5400 meters at 6am! Not exactly an alpine start but at least we wouldn´t get lost on the glacier with our weak headlamps. We made the summit at 10am (6354 meters). After rappelling the steep sections and jumping a few crevasses we were back at the high camp. We packed up and walked all the way down to basecamp at 4300 meters. After an even more interesting taxi ride back home we were back and that´s when I realized that driving is much more dangerous than climbing!

 

Gear Notes:

pickets, ice tools

 

Approach Notes:

collectivo from Huaraz or Yungay to Pisco or Chopicalqui trailheads

Edited August 12, 2005 by tlinn

[StreetBoss]

Nice TR. I did Pisco and Chopicalqui on the tail end of my Peru trip. What a fantastic place with so many awesome peaks over 20,000 ft. Love the night life at Tambo!!!!!!